
Qass- 
Book_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE 



BELIEVER'S HAND-BOOK 

ON HOLINESS, 

FOlt 

CHRISTIANS OF EVERY NAME. 



v 

Br REV. K. DAVIES, 

AtrrnoR of "He leadeth me," "The Gift of the Holy 
Ghost," "Choice Hy'jlxs," &c. 



"The very God of peaee sanctify you wholly ." — Paul. 






PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

For sale by Rev. E. Davies, Reading, Mass.; James P. Magee, J. H. 

Earle, Willard Tract Repository, Boston, Mass. ; Methodist 

Book Concern,^80S Broadway, TT.Y. ; National Publishing 

House, 921 Arch St., Philadelphia, Penn. 



PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS ; IN CLOTH, FORTY CENTS. 



WORKS BY EEV. E. DAVIES, 
Evangelist. 



CHOICE HYMNS 

For the Masses in Revival Services, 

Containing many of the Old Hymns that we love *o well, and 
nearly all the New Camp Meeting Melodies, neatly bound in fine 
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They are printed on thick paper, and in large print, just what 
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THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST 

THE BELIEVER'S PRIVILEGE. 

This book contains the substance of a number of sermons, 
and many choice and original thoughts, and is a new arrange- 
ment of the subject, throwing great light on that all-important 
event, " The Pentecost " and its relation to Christians of all 
ages, and how we may secure " the Baptism of the Holy 
Ghost," and the mighty results that follow. 

Also, in the same volume, — 

SELECT SERMONS ON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, 

That cannot be read without profit. 

Price, only 50 cts., paper ; 80 cts. in fine cloth, 



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Address . REV. E. DAVIES, Reading, Mass. 



THE 



BELIEVER'S HAND-BOOK. 

ON HOLINESS: 

SHOWING 

HOW TO ENTER AND HOW TO DWELL 

IN THE 

CANAAN OF PERFECT LOVE. 



By REV. E. DAVIES. 



" L«t us go up at once and possess it ; for we are well able 
to overcome it." Caleb. 

" Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest." Paul. 




PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

FOR SALE BY REV. E. DAVIES, READING, MASS. J AT WILLARD TRACT 

REPOSITORY, 12 WEST STREET; JAMES P. MAGEE, 

38 BROMFIELD ST., AND JAMES EARLE, 

11 CORNHILL, BOSTON. 



<-i 



■v 



A 
Z, 



6 



THIS BOOK IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DET/ICATED 

TO 

MY PRECIOUS AND WORTHY SISTER 



Utoj. Wute I 



WHOSE HOLINESS MEETINGS, HOLY EXAMPLE, AND NUMEROUS 

WRITINGS HAVE BEEN SANCTIFIED TO MY GOOD 

FOR TWENTY YEARS. 

MAY SHE LONG LIVE TO PUBLISH THE GREAT SALVATION, 

AND TO " CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE 

FAITH ONCE DELIVERED TO 

TTTF. SATNTR." 



INTRODUCTION. 






Christian Reader : 

I have long had it in my mind to write and 
publish the following pages. They contain the 
substance of a course of sermons on Holiness, 
which I have preached with both pleasure and 
profit to myself, and I trust to others. 

My design is to make the whole matter so plain, 
that any true Christian may see just where he 
stands in his religious experience, and just how to 
advance into that glorious state called Perfect Love, 
or Christian Holiness. And then, having gained 
this blessed experience, the great thing is to retain 
it, and advance therein " from glory to glory, even 
as by the Spirit of the Lord." I have endeavored 
to show how this can be done. 

Read, study, and digest, and may the God of all 
truth sanctify you through his truth, and make you 
perfect in every good word and work. 

As God is the great fountain of holiness, I have 
thought it well to fill up the first chapter upon the 
holiness of God. " Multum in parvo," is the 
motto, and not " magnum opus ; " much in little, 
rather than a great book. May the Holy Spirit 
guide you into all truth ! 

E. D. 

5 



CONTENTS. 



• LECTURE I. 

THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 

Page 
There is a God. — Scripture names of God. — The holi- 
ness of God. — Seen in the character of his works. — 
Seen in the nature and tendency of the gospel. — His 
holiness an infinite fountain. — The attributes that God 
ascribes to himself; also the angelic choirs. — This 
holiness belongs to each person of the adorable Trinity. 

— Two mighty streams flow therefrom: Justice and 
, Truth, — Objections answered, — i. " Why does a 

holy God suffer sin in this world without apparent 
punishment ? " Answer, first, second, third. — " If 
God is so holy, why do the righteous suffer so much in 
this life ? " Answer, first, second, third. — Practical 
remarks. II 

LECTURE II. 

HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 

"Be ye Holy? 

THE NATURE OF HOLINESS. 

What is holiness ? — Not received at conversion ; excep- 
tions establish the rule. — Love is the ruling passion. 

— The will harmonizes with the will of God. — The 

7 



CONTENTS. 

conscience is quickened. — The imagination is purified. 

— The most holy need the blood of Christ constantly. 

— The law of progression. — Entire consecration. — 
Perfect faith. — Imperfections. — Exalted happiness. — 
Address to the reader 18 



LECTURE III. 

THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 

Sin in believers. — Experience of Corinthians. — Scrip- 
ture testimony. — Prayers. — Commands. — Holiness 
a power. — Crosses and losses of life. — Exemplary 
conduct. — An illustration. — To answer the end of 
life. — To satisfy the demands of the law. — Mediatorial 
prayer. — Mission of the church. — Of illumination and 
purification. — The world's conversion. — Holiness a 
preparation for heaven. — Objection answered, as to 
the lukewarm professors. — Sad example. — Let even 
ministers beware 25 

LECTURE IV. 

HOLINESS POSSIBLE. — HOLINESS DESIRABLE. 

Gloriously possible. — God commands it. — Apostle's 
prayer for it. — God is able to do it. — God is willing. 
— The aim of the gospel scheme. — The office of the 
Holy Spirit. — The nature of man no obstacle. — Ex- 
amples of holy ones. — Enoch. — Job. — Zachariah 
and Elizabeth. — Wesley. — Fletcher. — Payson. — 
Carvosoo. — Ministers of the present day. — Desirable 
to be holy. — To be like God. — Heaven on earth. — 
To be very useful. — To be meet for heaven. — To be 

• holy long before death. — Application. . . • • • 33 



CONTEXTS . 9 

LECTURE V. 

THE MEANS OF ATTAINING HOLINESS. 

Deep conviction of the need of it. — Not the conviction 
of a backslider. — Must live near to God to feel our 
need of it. — Resolution to attain it. — Former re- 
solves. — How to resolve. — Take the consequences. — 
Receive the blessing in a calm or in a hurricane. — 
Must have a contrite heart. — Hearty confession to 
God and the church. — Entire consecration. — What 
it is. — Fletcher's example. — Worldly vanities aban- 
doned. — Their influence. — Members of the body. — 
Fervent prayer. — The author's experience. — David. 
— Implicit faith. — Seeking by works, and seeking by 
faith. — The difference .40 

LECTURE VI. 

THE EVIDENCES OF ITS POSSESSION. 

The witness of God's Spirit. — Author's experience. — 
The blessing bear tness. — The change is 
great to be doubtful. — Hallowed simplicity. — 
Testimony of our own spirit. — Heavenly conscious- 
s of purity. — 'FuUn re. — Love expands the 
heart. — Humility fills the soul. — Everywhere man- 
ifest. — Can rejoice evermore. — / cause for 
gratitude. — Striking example — Large effusion of the 
spirit of prayer 49 

LECTURE VII. 

HOW MAY WE RETAIN THIS ELI. P ENTIRE SANCTIFI- 

iny lose it — Cherish the spirit of watchfulness. — 

Reasons for it. — ~ Trifles make perfection." — Guard 



10 CONTENTS. 

against doubt. — Cultivate faith. — Life of faith. — Faith 
and works. — Self-denial. — Wesley. — Life filled up. 
— " Grace flies a vacuum." — Live in the presence of 
God. — Make a timely and humble profession of it. — 
Scripture language. — In the spirit of meekness. — 
Daily life the loudest profession. — What to do if the 
blessing is lost. — Grow in grace. — Perpetuate your 
consecration. — Labor to lead others to the fullness. — 
Constant prayer. — Endure trials. — Satan's tempta- 
tions. — Coldness of the church. — Charity tried. — 
Faith severely tested. — Patience tried. — Provoca- 
tions. — No fretting at daily annoyances. — Natural 
dispositions. — Grace can conquer nature 55 

LECTURE VIII. 

HOLINESS UPON THE BELLS OF THE HORSES. 

Prophetic visions. — Holiness upon the furniture of the 
houses. — In eating and drinking. — Holiness the 
ultimatum of the gospel scheme. — Holiness in the 
smallest things. — Future error. — Thoughts. — Feel- 
ings. — Words and actions. — Examples. — Reflec- 
tions 64 



LECTURE I. 

THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 

"I AM HOLY." 

" There is a God — all nature speaks 

Through earth, and air, and sea, and skies ; 
See — from the clouds his glory breaks, 
When earliest beams of morning rise." 

The mighty fact of the Divine existence the Book 
of Revelation never undertakes to prove, but simply 
takes it for granted ; for, as we open the sacred 
treasure, we read, "In the beginning God created 
the heavens and the earth." So God was before the 
beginning, before angels and archangels, cherubim 
and seraphim, before the existence of the starry heav- 
ens and the flowery earth. His mighty fiat spake 
them all into being. For he " spake, and it was 
done ; he commanded, and it stood fast." I stand 
and look, when, behold! God stretches out his 
omnipotent hand, and I see dropping from his fingers 
those vast orbs that hestud the vault of heaven. I 
look again, and I see arising from the rthaos of mat- 
ter a beautiful earth, all fitted up and furnished for 
the abode of man. I look again, and light springs 
out of darkness, and order out of confusion. 

11 



12 THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 

But what is the character, and what are the attri- 
butes of this mighty First Cause of all creation ? 

"lam holy," says this great Jehovah, and this 
attribute stands out in bold relief, the all-essential 
attribute of his nature. The Hebrews called him 
" Elohim," gods, or adorable ones; " El? strong, 
powerful ; " Ehiah," I am, I will be, self-existence ; 
w Shadie" almighty ; " Rochum," the merciful be^ 
ing; " Ghanum" the gracious one. 

If we inquire as to the nature of God, we read, 
"God is a spirit ; " as to the duration of God, "he 
is from everlasting to everlasting ; " and while he is 
inflexible in justice, almighty in power, infinite in 
goodness and love, he is spotless in purity, the Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. 

Holiness in the creature is the outward and inward 
conformity to the immutable laws of God ; but when 
we speak of God, we speak of a being who is a law 
unto himself. He has no higher authority by which 
his conduct may be tried. It accords, therefore, with 
his own self-existent justice. 

Holiness in God is an essential attribute of his 
nature, it is a part of his existence, and we cannot 
think of God without associating the idea of holiness 
with the thought. And with our present constitution, 
we cannot think of offering worship to a supreme 
God who is not holy. 

God's holiness is manifest in the laws of the moral 
universe, in which he has enjoined certain affections 
and actions upon moral agents, and prohibited their 



THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 13 

contraries. And, as we look around, we see that 
those who observe these precepts, promote thereby 
their moral and spiritual well being ; yea, their 
present and eternal interests. While those who will 
not obey them, according to the constitution of nature, 
are miserable ; for happiness flows from rectitude, 
and misery from vice, and all this shows that the 
God of nature is a holy God. 

We shall reach the same conclusion if we look at 
it from another standpoint, for the very gospel itself 
is instituted to establish, or set forth, God's moral 
purity, showing his eternal abhorrence of sin, and 
his infinite love of purity. To save him from moral 
pollutions a fountain is open, in the blood of his 
only Son ; then there is a sanctifying influence 
extended to follow him from the ever-blessed Spirit. 
The mission of the spotless Lamb of God is to 
"destroy the works of the devil," and purify unto 
himself " a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle." 
All this shows that " the Lord loveth righteousness, 
and hateth iniquity." 

Again, this holiness in God is the fountain from 
whence all our holiness flows. Thank God, it is an 
infinite fullness, and cannot be exhausted. Well has 
the poet said, — 

" Holy as thou, O Lord, is none ; 
Thy holiness is all thine own ; 
A drop of that unbounded sea 
Is ours, — a drop derived from thee. 
And when thy purity we share, 
Thine only glory we declare ; 



14 THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 

And, humbled into nothing, own, 
Holy and pure is God alone." 

We hardly need observe that this holiness belongs 
equally to each person of the adorable Trinity, Holy 
Father, Holy Son, and Holy Ghost, One in Three, 
and Three in One, — 

" Thou, holy Father, we confess j 

Thou, holy Sen, adore; 
And thou, the Holy Ghost, we bless, 

And worship evermore. 
Hail ! holy, holy, holy Lord, 

Our heavenly song shall be ; 
Supreme, essential One, adored 

In. co-eternal Three ! " 

This is the attribute that God ascribes to himself, 
— K I am holy" And angelic choirs, as they chant 
their heavenly lays, in the vision of the prophet 
exclaim, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God of 
hosts, the whole world is full of his glory." And 
mortals, catching up the strain, cry out, " Who shall 
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for 
thou art holy." 

From this fountain of holiness in the Deity there 
flows two mighty streams, Justice and Truth, which 
are sometimes treated as separate attributes. 

"Justice, in its principle, is holiness." It may be 
legislative justice, which has its foundation in God's 
right to govern his creatures. It may be " distribu- 
tive justice," which has its foundation in God's right 
to reward or punish. In all respects it is impartial, 



THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 15 

for God is no respecter of persons ; he K regardeth 
not persons, neither taketh reward." 

The truth of God, by the sacred writers, is set forth 
in " two great branches, veracity and faithfulness." 
" His mercy is great to the heavens, and his truth to 
the clouds." " The strength of Israel will not lie." 
God is at the utmost distance from all possible un- 
faithfulness. K He keepeth truth forever." 

OBJECTIONS. 

1. "If God is so infinitely holy, and so utterly 
opposed to sin, why does he suffer so much sin to be 
committed by individuals, states, and nations, with- 
out apparent punishment ? Yea, we find that great 
offenders often have much temporal prosperity." 

First. This is a state of probation, not of destiny, 
and the justice of God is appeased by the constant 
offering of the great Sacrifice for the world's redemp- 
tion, and the sprinkling of his own blood upon the 
mercy-seat. Hence God can melt hardened sinners 
by his goodness, and can reserve the impenitent to 
the day of judgment to be punished. 

Secondly. The administration under which man 
is placed is one of justice in harmony with mercy, 
and admits of great variety ; to some he gives five 
talents, to others two, to others one, according to 
their several ability, and holds them responsible for 
the use and improvement of the same, and this per- 
fectly harmonizes with his holiness. 

Thirdly. We find in the history of the world that 



16 THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 

God has always vindicated his holiness and justice, 
for he drowned the world with a flood ; destroyed 
Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone ; de- 
stroyed Jerusalem, and scattered the Jews to the 
ends of the earth ; and made Babylon and Nineveh 
a habitation for wild beasts. For as nations and 
states have no existence, as such, in the world to 
come, God metes out their punishment in this 
world, for he has fully declared, " Sin shall not 
go unpunished." 

2. Others say, "If God is holy, how is it that the 
saints suffer so much in this life ? " 

First. Their suffering may arise from hereditary 
causes, from the violation of natural law, before or 
after they are converted, and they must suffer the 
natural consequences, although they are Christians, 
or God must work a miracle to save them therefrom. 
God is not pleased to work a miracle, and so they 
are left to suffer. 

Secondly. Though their afflictions remain, God 
gives them strength to endure them. The thorn may 
not be removed from the flesh though they pray thrice, 
but God gives them strength to endure it ; so they 
can say, "When I am weak, then am I strong." 

Thirdly. God may see that they need afflictions 
to make them humble, to exemplify his grace, and 
to magnify his name. 

Fourthly. Their short-comings may need his chas- 
tisements, for "whom he loveth he chastiseth, and 
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 



THE HOLINESS OF GOD. 17 

Reader, if God is so infinitely holy, surely we 
ought to study his character more fully. And if 
through the atonement it is possible for you to be- 
come holy, ought you not to esteem it your highest 
privilege to bear this impress of divinity ? If God 
is so holy, it is impossible, in the nature of things, 
for the wicked to dwell in his presence. 

If God is so holy, then he must love those most 
who are most like himself. 

" Blest are the pure in heart, 

For they shall see our God : 
The secret of the Lord is theirs 5 

Their soul is his abode. 
Still to the lowly soul, 

He doth himself impart, 
And for his temple and his throne 

Selects the pure in heart." 



LECTURE II. 

HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 

"BE YE HOLY." 

We have seen what holiness is, as it pertains to 
God ; now let us consider it as pertaining to man, 
and our first consideration will be 

THE NATURE OF HOLINESS. 

1. It is the conformity of heart and life to the law 
of God. His moral law is the standard of rectitude 
to moral agents in all parts of the universe, and it 
pertains to the thoughts and intents of the heart, as 
well as the acts of the life, great or small. The 
state of heart which holiness implies will, of neces- 
sity, lead to a holy life, for if we make the tree good, 
the fruit will be good also. 

2. This holiness is not experienced at the time of 
conversion, though the principle is then implanted. 
The seeking sinner ha3 not learned the plague of his 
heart. He is chiefly concerned to secure pardon, not 
purity ; he is weighed down under a load of guilt, 
and seeks its removal, and when God, for Christ's 
sake, forgives his sin, the Holy Spirit renews his 
heart, and he becomes R a new creature," a heavenly 

18 



HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 19 

peace pervades his soul, and he fondly supposes that 
all his conflicts are at an end ; that, because sin does 
not rule, that therefore it does not exist. But in 
time he finds the rising of pride, anger, or lust, 
showing him that although the power of sin is 
broken, it is not destroyed ; that, though the man 
of sin is wounded, yet he is not slain ; that, though 
the tree of sin is cut down, there are yet the roots 
of bitterness which spring up and trouble him. This 
was the experience of Bible Christians, as the epistles 
of Paul plainly show. And this is the experience 
of Christians in the present day ; inbred corruptions 
still remain and must be cast out, or constant war 
must be kept up, sometimes conquering and some- 
times conquered, and this is the very state in which 
the mass of believers live, and alas ! many of them 
have never heard that there is any Holy Ghost that 
can sanctify them from all sin. They have yet to 
prove by experience that 

M There is a fountain filled with blood, 
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins, 
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, 
Lose all their guilty stains." 

Now this is a work that must be carried on after 
conversion. It is a second blessing, in harmony 
with) separate from, and subsequent to, the work 
of conversion. If there are any exceptions, those 
only establish the rule. 

3. The holiness in question is the casting out of 
those inbred sins, the purification of the moral na- 



20 HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 

ture, and the restoration of the image of God, so 
that the soul is all glorious within, having all the 
fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." 

4. In this state, love is the ruling principle. 
Perfect or supreme love to God, and equal love to 
man, becomes the habit of his soul. The supreme 
affections find their center in God, so that as I gaze 
upon the celestial host I can say, " Whom have I in 
heaven but thee." And as I gaze upon the dearest 
ones of earth I can say, " There is none upon earth 
that I desire beside thee." 

5. The will is brought into blessed harmony with 
the will of God. This ruling faculty of the soul is 
the last to submit to the full claims of God, but in 
this state of holiness it must submit. f? Not my will, 
but thine be done." 

" Prince of Peace, control my will ; 
Bid this struggling heart be still. 
May thy will, not mine, be done ; 
May thy will and mine be one." 

6. The conscience — "God's vicegerent in the 
soul " — becomes quick and tender, the slightest 
touch of sin to feel ; just as the apple of the eye 
has no rest, when some foreign element is inclosed 
therein, just so the sanctified conscience will give the 
soul no peace in the presence of the least sin. 

7. The imagination, the creative faculty, will be 
filled with holy pictures, and pervaded by holy 
influences. And we never can tell the blessedness 



HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 21 

of a sanctified imagination. This is manifest in the 
night-watches. 

8. We must ever maintain that holiness is the 
conformity of the heart and life to the law of God, 
given to men in Eden and from Mount Sinai, and 
this law pertains to his physical, intellectual, and 
moral nature. But all these powers have been 
weakened by sin, so that we have not the capacity 
for virtue and piety that we should otherwise have 
had. But how can we harmonize these positions? 
The law will not compromise with sin or lower its 
claims, and yet the best of Christians are defective 
in judgment, word, or work. Here " the law is 
our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ," and for 
all these defects, known or unknown, we are depend- 
ent upon the merits of Christ. So that the holiest 
saint may always say, — 

" Every moment, Lord, I need 
The merit of thy death." 

9. The law of progression applies to this as to all 
other states, so that I can never be so holy as to 
admit of no increase ; through all time and through 
all eternity we may become more and more assimila- 
ted with the divine image. 

" Changed from glory into glory, 

Till in heaven we take our place — 
Till we cast our crowns before thee, 
Lost in wonder, love, and praise." 

10. This holiness implies an entire consecration. 



22 HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 

The whole body, the whole soul, and the whole 
spirit must no longer be devoted to sin or self, in 
whole or in part, but to God and his glory, with 
every penny of our property, and every portion of 
our time. w The very God of peace sanctify you 
wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit, and 
soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he 
that calleth you, who also will do it." This is the 
scriptural injunction and declaration. Now listen to 
the language of the soul fully athirst for this great 
blessing : — 

" Take my soul and body's powers, 
Take my memory, mind, and will, 

All my goods, and all my hours, 
All I know, and all I feel ; 

All I speak, or think, or do ; 

Take my heart, but make it new." 

11. It includes and implies a perfect faith* 
Every degree of evangelical faith is saving, but the 
faith that brings this fullness must be perfect, an 
implicit trust and reliance on the promise of God. 
In a state of partial sanctification, how much doubt 
and unbelief is found, how much distrust of God and 
his providences, how much fear that all things will 
not work together for good, what a lack of the full 
assurance of faith ; but in a state of holiness this is 
all removed. We can then fully trust in the aton- 
ing merits of the Redeemer's blood, and the uner- 
ring wisdom of Christ, our elder brother. "All 
God's plans and providences are right, — 



HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 23 

" He doeth all things well." 

In the quiet confidence of this faith the soul may 
say,— 

" Calm on tumult's wheel I sit, 
Midst busy multitudes, alone ; 
Sweetly waiting at thy feet, 
Till all thy will be done." 

12. While in this state, faith, love, and consecra- 
tion are perfect with humility, and the other graces 
of the spirit. Yet " we have this treasure in earthen 
vessels," for we are yet imperfect in judgment, and 
the error of judgment may lead to an error of prac- 
tice ; but though, in fact, I violate the moral law, 
yet in spirit I keep it, for my heart is filled with 
pure love, and "love is the fulfilling of the law." 
And I can still say, "There is, therefore, now no 
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who 
walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." 

13. This blessed state of grace brings the soul 
into its proper elements, where all its powers can 
find suitable employment, where God is the center 
and sun, and his word and works are our delight. 
This must of necessity be a happy state. There is a 
rich, exalted, and heavenly happiness pervading 
the whole soul ; 'tis heaven below. 

" How blest are they who still abide, 
Close sheltered in thy bleeding side ; 
Who thence their life and strength derive, 
And by thee move, and in thee live." 



24 HOLINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO MAN. 

Reader, is this happy portion thine? "Have ye 
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? " Can 
you call to mind the time when you forsook the last 
idol of your heart, and made an entire surrender of 
yourself to do the will of God ! When peace, pas- 
sing all understanding, possessed your heart? Or are 
you still " wandering round and round the moun- 
tain, battling with your own inward corruptions?" 
Are you yet in the hands of your enemies, — pride, 
passion, unbelief, and love of the world? Are you 
still wandering in the wilderness, or lingering on 
this side of Jordan, and afraid of the sons of Anak? 
Oh, listen to your heavenly Joshua ! who says, "You 
are well able to go up and possess the goodly land," 
or say, with the poet, — 

" Oh, that I might at once go up, 
No more on this side Jordan stop, 

But no, the land possess ; 
This moment end my legal years; 
Sorrows and sins, and doubts and fears, 

A howling wilderness." 

Oh, will you not at this moment " give to the wind 
your fears," and enter into that blessed country? — 

" A land of corn and wine and oil, 
Favored with God's peculiar smile, 

With every blessing blest ; 
There dwells the Lord our righteousness, 
And keeps his own in perfect peace, 

And everlasting rest." 



LECTURE III. 

THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 

"BE YE HOLY." 

Haying considered the subject of holiness as it 
pertains to God and to man, and seen what it im- 
plied in that exalted state, we would now inquire, 
not if it would be convenient, but if it is necessary 
for those who have experienced pardoning mercy, to 
go on to Christian perfection ? Can they not fold 
their hands, and sit still and sing psalms after they 
are converted ? or must they fight " the good fight 
of faith," and have that fellowship with the Father 
by which they may prove that "the blood of Jesus 
Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin ? " 

1. Let us more fully consider the fact that we are 
not made holy when we are converted. This has been 
the opinion and experience of the Church for 1800 
years. It is a settled fact, that sin has been found in 
believers in all these years. By sin in believers, we 
mean unholy tempers and passions, as pride, self- 
will, lust, anger. These are the seeds of sin, the 
remains of the carnal mind, the latent depravity that 
is left in the heart, K the roots of bitterness " that 
spring up to perplex the child of God. 

The question is not whether they fall into actual 

25 



26 THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 

transgression or no, for he that committeth sin is of 
the devil ; but whether they still have these enemies 
of God seeking for mastery in their heart, after 
their sins have been forgiven? 

We are fully satisfied that it is a glorious thing to 
be a child of God, an heir of heaven, a temple of the 
Holy Ghost, and to have victory over inward and 
outward sins, and this we must have to retain our 
sonship. 

Still sin may lurk in the soul, and only seek a 
suitable opportunity to gain the mastery. When the 
apostle writes to the church at Corinth, he calls them 
sanctified in Christ Jesus ; he says, "Ye are washed, 
ye are sanctified," that is, from fornication, idolatry, 
and drunkenness, etc. Still he says he could " not 
write unto them as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, 
as unto babes in Christ ; ye are yet carnal, for 
whereas there is among you envying and strife, are 
ye not carnal ? " 

Now here we have the pen of inspiration recording 
the fact that the believers at Corinth were sanctified 
on the one hand, as compared with their former 
state, and yet they were carnal on the other, as com- 
pared with what the holy law required them to be, 
and as to what the gospel provided for them. And 
this passage is in strict accordance with the tenor of 
the Scripture. "Having, therefore, these promises, 
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the 
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the 
Lord." "The very God of peace sanctify you 



THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 27 

wholly," was the prayer of the apostle for the 
church at Thessalonica. And the church at Ephesus 
had works, and labor, and patience, and for Christ's 
sake they had labored, and had not fainted, and yet 
they had "left their first love." And the church 
at Sardis was exhorted to " strengthen the things 
that remain, that are ready to die," for their "works 
were not perfect before God." 

But we need not go to past ages for proof; we can 
find it nearer home. Does not the experience of all 
Christians testify to the same fact. While they know 
that they love God, yet they do not love him su- 
premely. The love of God is not perfected in -them. 

" Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love. 5 ' 

Still they feel the Spirit of God 

" Carrying on his work within, 
Striving till he cast out sin." 

The same fact is implied in the commands of the 
Bible to the Christians w to be holy," " to be perfect," 
"to cleanse themselves." These would be useless if 
they had obtained the fullness at conversion. 

2. Holiness is a necessity, not only because we are 
not made perfect in love when converted, but also to 
fit us for the faithful discharge of every daily duty, 
to God, to ourselves, our families, and to the world 
around. We never can discharge these duties in a 
becoming manner, acceptable 'to God and becoming 
to men, without holiness. This is manifest to all. 



28 THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 

3. We must possess this holiness, or we can not 
maintain perfect peace and submission to God, amid 
all the trials, losses, and crosses of life. Otherwise 
there will be murmuring and misery. 

4. We need holiness, that we may present a fair 
exhibition of our holy religion to the gazing multitude. 
Alas ! alas ! that so many that name the name of 
Christ, fail to depart from all iniquity, and to show 
the " beauty of holiness," the excellences of the 
religion of Jesus to those among whom they live. 
A fond mother, amid the cares of her family, gave 
way to a peevish temper, till her son was led to ex- 
claim, "If that is religion, I don't want it." Her 

•prayers for her son were unavailing, because her 
life contradicted her profession. 

5. Holiness is necessary, that we may answer the 
great end for which we were created. Was it not 
to glorify God on earth, and live with him for ever? 
Now we all know that sin interferes with the glory 
of God on earth, and disqualifies us from meeting 
God in heaven. 

When the pure flame of perfect love burns in our 
hearts, our lives are all in harmony with God, and 
profitable to men, and we are ready at any moment 
"to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." 

6. Nothing but holiness will satisfy the nature and 
demands of the law of God. "The law is holy, and 
the commandment holy, just, and good. It emanates 
from a pure source, and cannot make an unjust claim. 
The God of eternal rectitude has placed man under 



THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 29 

these laws as he came out of his hands, and every 
fact of his character must be tested by these laws, 
passions, thoughts, motives, and acts. The law will 
not compromise with sin in a believer or unbeliever ; 
all sin is condemned by this perfect law of purity. 
This law applies in full force to every sin, within or 
without. It is gloriously true, that we live now in a 
reign of mercy, while Jesus is on his mediatorial 
throne, and here remaining depravity may be par- 
doned, and man, who feels the risings of " self against 
God, lust against purity, pride against humility, doubt 
against faith, and of anger against pity, and fear 
against love, may check them, and seek pardon for 
them now, through repentance toward God, and 
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, till God, purity, hu- 
mility, faith, pity, and love shall have the ascen- 
dency. But there is no pardon for such in the eter- 
nal world, — yet if these sins are not removed, they 
will exist forever." 

In that world we have the reign of justice and the 
final judgment, and sin and reigning justice can not 
exist in heaven. Hence it is in this life that we must 
walk in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless, and 
walk in the light as God is in the light, and attest 
that * the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 
from all sin." So that the law of eternal rectitude 
cannot be satisfied by any other method than by per- 
fect obedience, or by a perfect faith in him who died 
to atone for sin, with a fixed purpose to sin no more. 
The law is holy, and demands holiness, and this can 
be obtained only in this life. 



30 THE NECESSITY OE HOLINESS. 

7. The mission of the Church demands holiness in 
its members. It is true, God is pleased to use the 
labors of men, who are not fully consecrated, to some 
extent. But we know also that, other things being 
equal, the most holy will be the most useful. 

(1.) Without the light that holiness affords, the 
vision of the Church will be dim, and it will be im- 
possible to see the awful state of the world around. 
Millions are marching on the verge of eternal destruc- 
tion, yet without holy light she cannot realize their 
fearful state. Neither can she diffuse the saving light 
of the gospel among men in darkness of spiritual 
death, without the glorious light of perfect love. 
This may enable her to send forth her healing rays 
into the world's dark chaos. 

(2.) The mission of the church is a mission of 
purification ; it is her province to diffuse the cleansing 
power of the gospel, for the sanctifying of the souls 
of men. But this she can never do without holiness. 
The great heart of the human family is chilled till 
spiritual death prevails, and it is for the Church to 
have that baptism of jire, that will enable her to 
melt away this coldness, and diffuse the light of life 
and the fire of love. 

(3.) The world is in darkness and the shadow of 
death. "Darkness hath covered the earth, and gross 
darkness the people." Now it is the mission of the 
Church to become the " light of the world ; " a w city 
that is set on a hill can not be hid ; " but it is only 
w T hen the Church shines forth in the beauty of holi- 



THE NECESSITY OE HOLINESS. - 31 

ness, that she can scatter this hellish gloom, and 
illuminate the world. 

(4.,) God has given the Church to accomplish the 
conversion of the world. This is the grand ultimate 
for which the judgment fires linger, and the judgment 
day is postponed. But how can the Church arise and 
fulfill this great mission, unless she can shake off* the 
sloth and weakness of inbred sin, and gird herself 
in the strength and majesty of holiness, till his testi- 
mony shall sway the world as though the breath of 
the Almighty was in it. Then " the wilderness and 
the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the 
desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ! " 

8. This holiness is an absolute necessity as a pre- 
paration for heaven. That holy place, the palace of 
our heavenly King, and the abode of " elect angels " 
that have "kept their first estate," can never be de- 
filed with the " filthiness of the flesh or spirit " which 
inbred sin implies. " There shall in no wise enter into 
it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh 
abomination or maketh a lie ; " all sin defiles, and 
therefore all sin is excluded. But if none but the 
holy can enter heaven, what will become of that por- 
tion of the Church on earth that do not " go on to 
perfection " before they die ? 

(1.) When they were converted they promised to 
"forsake all sin,' ? and "serve God faithfully for 
life ; " and on this consideration they secured pardon 
for past sin, having believed upon Christ. 

(2.) If they have faithfully kept that promise, they 



32 THE NECESSITY OF HOLINESS. 

have forsaken every sin within and without, and 
have thus maintained a conscience void of offense, 
retained their justification, and pressed on to the full- 
ness, and they are fit for the kingdom of heaven. 

(3.) If they have broken their vows, by falling into 
sin, they have forfeited their justification, and are not 
fit for the kingdom. It is to be feared that too many 
are in just such a place, sinning and repenting, prom- 
ising and breaking their promises, trying in vain to 
follow Christ, and yet maintain the friendship of this 
world, and live after its fashions and follow its vani- 
ties. One of these pitiable members of the Church, 
was so fond of show in dress that she had her shroud 
made and put on while she was sick, that she might 
see how she would look w T hen laid out in death, and 
dressed up for the grave. 

Is it not awfully possible that ministers of the 
holy gospel should render themselves unfit for heaven 
by seeking the praise of men rather than the praise 
of God? O, for that perfect humility that sinks us 
into the dust before God, and gives all the glory to 
that Saviour, who is blessed for evermore ! 

" Wash me, and make me thus thine own ; 

Wash me, and mine thou art ; 
Wash me, but not my feet alone — 

My hands, my head, my heart. 
The atonement of thy blood apply, 

Till faith to sight improve, 
Till hope in full fruition die, 

And all my soul be love." 



LECTURE IV. 

HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 

" FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU, WHO ALSO WILL 
DO IT." 

Having seen what holiness is, in its nature and 
necessity, let us now inquire, — 

First. Is it possible to be holy in this life? 

It would hardly seem necessary to consider this 
point, but for the encouragement it will afford to all 
those who sincerely desire to have this " pearl of 
great price," and that all doubt may be removed 
from those who are skeptical upon this doctrine. 
Can it be, that I, a worm of the earth, may become 
so holy as to become a resident of heaven? who 
am so unworthy, so frail, and liable to err in judg- 
ment and practice? Yes ; thank God, I may ! The 
question is not if I can be saved from these and 
many other infirmities which pertains to the best of 
men on earth. No ; these infirmities will follow us 
to the tomb, as constitutional, and as the natural 
effects of the fall. But can I be cleansed from all 
inward corruptions, the sources of unholy thoughts, 
feelings, and words, which have so often troubled me? 
Can I be saved from the love of the world ? Can 1 
3 33 



34 HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 

have my will subdued, my affections sanctified, my 
conscience clean, and my body and all its powers 
sanctified to God? Yes 3 glory to God, I may! 

1. The commands of the Bible imply this. w Thou 
ehalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with 
all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thy neigh- 
bor as thyself." This embraces the whole, and God 
would never require what could not be done. He does 
require this ; therefore it can be done. There are many 
other passages that teach the same, but let this suffice. 

2. The prayers of the Bible teach the possibility of 
holiness. w The very God of peace sanctifyyou wholly, 
and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body 
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who 
also will do it." Now how could an inspired apostle 
pray for this entire sanctification if it could not be 
obtained ? And if the church at Thessalonica could 
be wholly satisfied, so may any church, and so may 
any member of the church. It can be done: glory 
to God ! And as though the apostle feared that 
some would doubt the possibility of such a great 
blessing, he says, to sweep all fears away, "Faith- 
ful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." He 
has called you to holiness, and will sanctify you 
fully. Can we want anything more to the point? 
Again, the Psalmist prays, " Create in me a clean 
heart, and renew within me a right spirit." 

3. The promises of the Bible attest the same fact, 
"From all your filthiness, and from all your idols 



HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 35 

will I cleanse you." "The Lord thy God will 
circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul." Who can doubt such " precious 
promises," made by him that can not lie?" Holi- 
ness is possible. 

4. Holiness is possible if God is able to accomplish 
this work. Now, who will doubt the ability of the 
Great Jehovah to fully save the world ? If he made 
the soul, can he not fully save it from all sin ? Who 
will cherish for a moment a lingering doubt on this 
point? 

5. Holiness is possible if God is willing to accom- 
plish it. And do we not know that he is infinitely 
willing that all his children should be fully restored 
to his blessed image? That all his children should 
become, in holiness, like himself? "This is the will 
of God, even your sanctification." As God hates 
sin and loves holiness, so is he willing that we should 
all be holy. 

6. We may be holy, for the scheme of redemption 
aims directly at this very result, — to bring this sin- 
cursed world under the saving and sanctifying influ- 
ences of the blood of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 
For this cause, Deity was shrouded in humanity. 
"God was manifest in the flesh," the seeond person 
of the adorable Trinity " bare our sins in his own 
body on the tree, and opened a fountain in his own 
blood for sin and uncleanness. And that precious 
blood cleanseth from all sin," " that he might present 



36 HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 

it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; " but that it should be 
holy, and without blemish. 

" Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood 
Shall never lose its power, 
Till all the ransomed Church of God 
Are saved, to sin no more." 

But, again, it is the office of the Holy Spirit to 
begin and carry on to its full completion this work of 
renovation. And here it is an infinite power, an 
unlimited efficiency, able to save the soul to the tetter- 
most. What a reflection it would be on the wisdom 
or goodness of Jehovah to suppose that he would 
provide for the salvation of the soul from a part of 
its sins, from a great part, but not from the whole. 
That man must always be left to grapple with his 
inbred sins and latent depravity. Nay, it never can 
be ! God's scheme of mercy can save from the 
least and last remains of the carnal mind. 

O, reader ! can you doubt for a moment the pos- 
sibility of this glorious blessing, when you have the 
infinite virtue of the blood of Christ on the one hand, 
and the almighty power of the Holy Spirit on the 
other, engaged to accomplish this great work ? Nay, 
it can not be, — you may be saved from every sin. 
Doubt no more. 

7. There is nothing in the nature of man to prevent 
this glorious change. He who made man holy at the 
first, can make him holy again. Let any trembling 
believer cast himself, without reserve, upon the merits 






HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 37 

of Christ, and his scarlet sins shall be as wool, and 
though they may be red like crimson, they shall be 
whiter than snow. 

" My flesh that cries, It can not be, 
Shall silence keep before the Lord, 
And earth and hell and sin shall flee, 
At Jesus' everlasting word." 

8. The history of the Church in all ages establishes 
this point, for multitudes have already n washed their 
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." 

Even in the days of the patriarchs, "Enoch walked 
with God three hundred years," till he became so 
perfect before God that w he was not, for God took 
him ; " w for he had this testimony, before he was trans- 
lated, that he pleased God." And what was it but 
full salvation that made Job a perfect man, that feared 
God and eschewed evil? Zachariah and Elizabeth 
w walked in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless." 
Paul was crucified unto the world and the world unto 
him, so that "to live was Christ, and to die was 
gain." 

But what shall we say of the humble Wesley, the 
seraphic Fletcher, the sainted Pay son, the faithful 
Cavosoo, and a host of others who have gone to 
heavenly rest? who walked in holy love? Of the 
many ministers and members of the churches, who 
walk in this glorious light in the p?*ese7it day, I will 
not speak ; their record is above, and their heavenly 
influence is felt all around. This class of witnesses 
all declare " we may be holy in this life." 



38 HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 

Second. It ia desirable to be holy. Who can 
for a moment doubt this? 

1. Holiness makes us like God. Is not this 
desirable ? 

2. Holiness makes us enjoy much of heaven on 
earth. Is not this desirable? 

3. Holiness makes us live useful lives, and win 
souls to Christ. Is not this desirable? 

4. Holinsss gives us a meetness for, and a fore- 
taste of, heaven. Is not this desirable? 

5 . Holiness saves us from the power and dominion 
of sin. Now just think what sin is ! " In fact and 
principle it is rebellion." Obedience to God's law is 
the principle upon which the harmony of the moral 
universe depends. Yet sin strikes against this har- 
mony, and destroys it. Is it not desirable to be 
saved therefrom? Think of the eternal misery of 
the lost amidst the regions of despair ! Think of the 
influence of sin upon man in this world ! How it 
darkens the understanding, hardens the heart, stupe- 
fies. the will, and alienates the affections ; and would 
you not think it desirable to be saved from sin, in the 
fullest possible sense? 

6. It is not only desirable to be saved from sin 
some time before death, but to be saved therefrom as 
far from death as possible, as soon in our probation as 
may be ; for after we have attained this great bless- 
ing we may, (1.) Grow in grace niore rapidly, hav- 
ing obtained perfect health. (2.) We may become 
more profitable to the Church and the world. 






HOLINESS POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE. 39 

(3.) We may secure a more complete conformity 
to all the will of God, than though we had deferred 
this work later. (4.) We may thereby secure a 
richer felicity, a brighter crown, and a higher seat 
in eternal glory. 

O, is it not desirable to be wholly cleansed from 
sin, and be " filled with all the fullness of God," as 
soon, in our mortal career, as we can? When we 
think how short is life, how few our days or years 
for usefulness ! Reader, if you have not yet at- 
tained this " pearl of great price," seek it now $ the 
fountain is open, the sacrifice is slain. w All things 
are ready." 

" Sink into the purple flood, 
And rise to all the life of God." 

Rest not till you are arrayed in " the beauty of 
holiness," and exhibit its loveliness to the gazing 
world, that multitudes of others may be led to 
admire, and secure this robe of celestial beauty, till 
among the heavenly host you can exclaim, — 

" O, thou God of my salvation, 
My Redeemer from all sin, 
Moved by thy divine compassion, 
Who hast died my heart to win, 

I- will praise thee ; 
When shall I thy praise begin ? " 



LECTURE V. 

HOLINESS TO THE LORD — THE MEANS OF 
ATTAINING IT. 

" BE YE HOLY." 

We have calmly considered this subject of holi- 
ness as it pertains to God, and as it pertains to man. 
'We have found it an absolute necessity. We have 
seen it gloriously possible, and exceedingly desirable. 
Now we are led to inquire, What means we may use 
to secure this blessing? 

It has been well said, "Holiness is not an outside 
or accidental appendage of Christianity ; it is the 
very centre of it ; the grand element of its power ; 
the essential fact of its value." Yet it is generally 
neglected, so that a large portion of converted men 
are but sanctified in part, and the Church comes very 
short of accomplishing her mission. 

Now how may these masses of converted men 
attain the holiness in question? 

1. It will be manifest to all that there must be a 
deep and abiding conviction of the need of it. 
This is fundamental, and we can not proceed with- 
out it. As long as Christians can quiet their con- 
sciences and settle down at ease in a state of partial 
sanctification, they will never secure entire sanctifi- 

40 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 41 

cation. If they do not see the holiness of the law, 
and the want of conformity to it, and the necessity 
of an entire consecration, they will wander still in 
the wilderness, and never enter the Canaan of perfect 
love. Look at the absolute holiness of God ; and 
of his strict requirement of us to be like him — to 
be holy in our nature and capacity, as he is holy in 
his. Then look at the many roots of bitterness in 
the heart ; at that which dwells within, that is not 
like him, and at the want of the example before the 
world, that holiness implies and affords ; and at the 
blessed fullness of the gospel ; and there will arise a 
conviction that this blessing not only ?nay 9 but must 
be attained. This conviction will be deepened by 
considering the purity of all the heavenly host, with 
whom we hope to spend our eternity ; for if we 
would live with them, it is evident we must be 
like them. 

Observe, it is not the conviction that a back- 
slider has, that we are talking about. The justifi- 
cation must be maintained, in the same way that it is 
obtained, by a simple and implicit faith that brings 
salvation and power to keep the commands ; and if 
this is forfeited by falling into sin, that sin must be 
repented of, and a fresh application made of the blood 
of Christ ; but this is a very different thing from the 
conviction for perfect love. Now it is only when we 
are living in close communication with God, that we 
can discover our want of holiness, or have a hun- 
gering and thirsting after it. There is often a great 



42 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

shrinking from this conviction, — ■ an unwillingness 
to come to the light, — to give up the " easily beset- 
. ting sin," and to crucify self; but these will never 
walk in the highway of holiness, or the streets of 
the New Jerusalem, if these inbred sins are not the 
cause of a deep and abiding conviction of the need 
of holiness. 

2. But suppose this conviction is produced, and 
keenly and constantly felt ; the next means must 
be, to form a settled resolution never to rest till this 
blessing is obtained, to secure this exalted state by 
all and by every means. Never mind, though you 
have broken many of your former resolves. Make 
this, not in your own strength, but 

" In the strength that God supplies, 
Through his eternal Son." 

Make the resolution in the sight of God, calling 
upon him for a witness. Make it in full view of all 
the consequences, with no mental reservation. Re- 
member, this is not a resolution to live nearer to God 
only ; to enjoy more religion, or to do some long- 
neglected duties for a little time. Nay, this is not 
the point. You are to resolve to be fully and for 
ever the Lord's, — to do his will, and glorify his 
name at all times. I once heard the son of a minis- 
ter pleading with God for a clean heart, in the tent 
on the camp-ground, and he kept consecrating one 
thing after another, and at last he cried out, "Yes, 
Lord, and I will preach also, if you wish me to." This 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 43 

had Ions: been the trouble with him ; the last thin<> 
he was willing to do ; but he accepted the blessing 
and its consequences, and has been a traveling and 
an acceptable minister for a number of years. 

Some are afraid to make this resolution, lest they 
should receive the blessing in some unusual manner, 
with the loss of their physical strength, or with shout- 
ing and excitement. This would show that all was 
not given up, for we must leave the manner of obtain- 
ing the blessing with God, and fully purpose to have 
it in whatever way he is pleased to give it, in a hur- 
ricane, or in a mighty calm. 

3. If we would obtain this blessing, we must seek 
from God the blessing of a contrite heart and a 
broken spirit. This tenderness of soul will help to 
humble us before the Lord, and prepare us for the 
blessing, and lay us low at the feet of Jesus. " The 
sacrifice of God is a broken spirit, a broken and a 
contrite heart, O Lord, thou will not despise." 

4. There must be a humble and hearty confes- 
sion. 

(1.) To God. In the dust before him, tell him 
all the plague you have had with a heart that was 
not right in his sight, and that was prone to wander ; 
how many evil thoughts have troubled you ; how 
many unholy feelings have striven within for the 
mastery ; how much unbelief, pride, love of the 
world, anger, and envy have rankled in your bosom ; 
and how much these things have marred your peace, 
hindered your faith, and stopped your prosperity ; 



44 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

how impossible it has been to fully exemplify the 
Christian character while you have thus been, Sam- 
son-like, shorn of your strength. Lay your heart 
fully open before him ; tell him all that is in your 
way, though he knows it all beforehand, yet he is 
pleased to have you thus confess it. And you will 
find that this will be a most humbling and profitable 
exercise. It will give you a great victory over those 
sins, for when they have thus been exposed in the 
light of God, they will not so easily show themselves 
again. 

(2.) You must confess your want of holiness before 
your brethren. These are fellow-members of the 
same church, and you want their charity and their 
confidence. You need their counsel and prayers, 
and you must be willing to humble yourself before 
them ; to confess in the very dust, that since you 
have named the name of Christ, you have not fully 
departed from iniquity ; that you have not attained 
that perfect love that casts out fear ; that you have 
come short of that perfect faith 

" That will not shrink ; " 

and that now, by the grace of God and their prayers, 
you will fully dedicate yourself to the Lord. This 
will fully commit you to the cause, and draw out 
their prayers and sympathies in your behalf. Yet 
there may be some lukewarm ones that will treat you 
coldly. This must be meekly borne, — it is an 
unavoidable consequence, — yet let the confession 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 45 

be fully made, and it may serve to stir up even their 
hearts. 

5. If you would ever obtain this great blessing, 
you must make an entire consecration of yourself, 
and all you have, to the service of God. You must 
be like the vessels of the temple, — separated from 
a common to a sacred use, — set fully apart, not to 
do your own will, but the will of Him than sent you ; 
not to glorify self, but to glorify God in your body 
and spirit, which are his ; to use your natural or 
acquired talents for his honor, and not your own. 
* God must fully reign in your heart, while you 
reject everything of honor, pleasure, or profit which 
is not for his glory." Your property, in whole and 
in part, must be subject to the will of God, — to be 
sacredly used for his glory. The sainted Fletcher 
had one question for self-examination, which would 
be a good one for all that would be wholly the Lord's, 
as he was. At the close of each day, he would ask 
himself, " Have I laid out any money this day to 
please myself, when I might have saved it for the 
cause of God ? " I am fully satisfied that right 
here is the grand difficulty with many who seek for 
a full salvation, — they will not consecrate their 
property to God ; they seek for the fullness, and yet 
follow after vanities, and keep back a part of their 
earthly substance to be spent on their excessive love 
of finery, and to follow the worldly fashions. And 
thus their money is used for their pleasure, and not 
for God's glory. They will give up everything else 



46 HOLINESS TO THE LOKD. 

but their money to God. Meanwhile, the world is 
perishing for lack of these sinews of holy war, and 
missionary and other enterprises are not sustained. 

Your time must be fully consecrated to God ; your 
precious moments must be used and improved ac- 
cording to your best ability. You have no time for 
needless self-indulgence, but you will spend it in 
doing or receiving good. 

The members of your body must be fully dedi- 
cated to God ; your hands must labor for godly pur- 
poses only ; your eyes must be closed against all 
sinful objects ; your ears must not listen to the 
tongue of slander ; your palate must be gratified in 
that degree only that will be for your bodily health ; 
your natural passions must be kept within the bounds 
of reason ; a guard must be put upon your tongue, 
that it speak no guile. To place all these upon the 
altar of consecration will require much of the aid 
of the Holy Spirit ; but, thank God, he giveth the 
Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Will you now, 
by this Spirit's aid, make this entire transfer of 
yourself and all to God? 0, do it noiv! "Now 
is the accepted time, and behold now is the day of 
salvation." Do you now make the consecration, — 
this moment? 

6. Having felt the conviction, — made the resolu- 
tion, — sought the contrition, — made your confes- 
sions, and completed your consecration ; now you 
will find the need of earnest , fervent prayer. You 
must plead with God on your bended knees, — if 






HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 47 

need be, hour after hour, — till the blessing comes. 
I remember well the sacred Friday night when I 
fully resolved never to retire to rest till the blessing 
was mine. I continued in prayer till about eleven 
o'clock, when the heavenly blessing came, and the 
direct witness of the Spirit, that I was fully saved. 

If you will make a similar resolution, after the 
preceding steps have been taken, and will wrestle 
with God in fervent prayer, the blessing will be 
yours. David prayed, " Create in me a clean heart." 
The Apostle said, " The very God of peace sanctify 
you wholly." So your prayers must be definite, — 
ash for just the blessing you want, and in the 
simplest language, and it may be well to use the 
language of inspiration, — that which the Holy 
Ghost teacheth. Pray! O, pray ! till your heart is 
filled with holy fire, and your whole sprit is illumi- 
nated with heavenly light. 

7. There is just one step more for you to take. 
In the midst of your earnest prayers, you must 
exercise an implicit faith. Your whole soul must 
rely upon God's faithful word ; every step you have 
taken has been a step of faith ; but they are all in 
vain if you do not still believe. Now, having re- 
nounced all dependence upon yourself, place your 
whole confidence in him, who, upon the cross, laid 
down his life to save you from all sin. You can not 
doubt his ability, and surely you will not doubt his 
willingness. He is able and willing just now. The 
work may be done in a moment ; while you, by faith, 



48 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 



touch the hem of his garments, virtue flows from 
him ; it can not be otherwise. Do you not feel it 
now? Does not the divine influence pervade your 
whole soul ? Have you not now 

" The sacred awe that dares not move, 
And all the silent heaven of love ? " 

Hallelujah ! He saves me now, — this instant, — 
now I dare, I do believe? Praise God ! 

" Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, 

And looks to that alone, — 
Laughs at impossibilities, 

And cries, It shall be done ! 
The thing surpasses all my thought ; 

But faithful is my Lord, 
Through unbelief I stagger not, 

For God hath spoke the word." 

If you seek the blessing by works, you will always 
have something to do, and will never obtain it ; but, 
if you seek it by faith, you may have it now, — a 
free gift, without money, and without price. 



LECTURE VI. 

HOLINESS TO THE LORD — THE EVIDEN- 
CES OF ITS POSSESSION. 

"BE YE HOLY." 

It is supposed, dear reader, that you have followed 
the order laid down in this book. And that you are 
now in the possession of this blessing which you have 
just received. You have just begun to live in the 
Canaan of Perfect Love. 

" A land of corn, and wine, and oil, 
Favored with God's peculiar smile, 
With every blessing blest." 

For your confirmation in this exalted state now, and 
in years to come, we will seek to find out, and fully 
and simply express, " the evidences of having attained 
this holiness;" or, to answer the question, "How 
may you know now, and at all times, that you enjoy 
the blessing of holiness ? " This is a question that you 
will often want to answer, as you travel on to glory ; 
and it may be well to have at hand a simple answer, 
that you may refer to at any time, — to have a stan- 
dard by which to test yourself at pleasure. 

1. It will naturally be supposed, that as the Spirit 
of God witnesses to our regeneration, so it will to our 
entire sanctification, and so it is. I shall never forget 
4 49 



50 HOLINESS TO T>HE LORD. 

the sweet and heavenly impression, or testimony, of 
the Holy Spirit to my heart the night that I found 
the blessing ; it was like " a spirit-voice to the Spirit- 
ear." I could not hear the sound with my bodily ear, 
but I could, nevertheless, hear in my soul the spirit 
testifying that "my prayers were answered, that the 
blessing of a clean heart was mine." Praise God ! I 
feel it now. It is the office of the Spirit to testify our 
state to us, whatever that state is. And this Spirit is 
fully qualified for this work ; " for he searches . all 
things, yea, the deep things of God." "The anoint- 
ing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and 
ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same 
anointing teacheth you, and is the truth, and is no 
lie. How fitting this is, that the same Spirit that 
does the work, should testify of the same to the Lord, 
in which it was wrought. " There is a spirit-voice to 
the spirit-ear, and the communication is intelligible." 

" I would not, Lord, my soul deceive, 
Without the inward witness live — 
That ante past of heaven." 

Have you now the blessed witness ? that heavenly 
anointing ! 

2. There is a blessed sense in which this blessing 
bears its own witness. When the soul is filled with 
God, there will be such a sacred devotion, — a holy 
and hallowed simplicity, and godly sincerity ; such a 
meekness and humility ; such a fervor of spirit ; such 
a blessed union of all our powers of soul and body 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 51 

with God, that we shall be fully assured the work is 
done. w The connections of thought, and antagonisms 
of feeling, have all subsided into a heavenly harmony." 
There will be a sweet sinking into God, such a sense 
of security, while we abide under M the shadow of the 
Almighty." We have no fear of harm while we 
dwell in "the secret place of the Most High." He 
who rules the universe, rules our hearts. And we 
know his kingdom stands secure. He will keep that 
which we have committed to him. When all this 
change has taken place in our experience, we have 
the testimony of our own spirit that the blessing is 
ours. We know it, — we feel it. It has become a 
glorious fact in our history that can not be denied. 
And our consecration has become a settled experience, 
or state. So that we reckon ourselves as dedicated 
wholly to God, from hour to hour, and the Holy Spirit 
continues the gracious work within. Still we must be 
on our guard, for we are not out of danger. " Moral 
freedom will still be an essential element in our nature ; 
but should the tempter gain the mastery, and self rise 
up again, by the consent or negligence of the soul, then 
this entire consecration is forfeited, and its evidence 
would depart," and we must fly at once to the blood 

" That "makes the wounded whole." 

3. As a matter of course, in this state there is a 
heavenly consciousness of purity, not merely that sin 
is gone, but that God's purity fills the soul. w As the 
soul bathes in the ocean of love ; as it lies humbled 



52 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

at the foot of the cross ; as it meekly kisses the rod 
with which it is afflicted ; as it stands firm against 
the shock of temptation ; as it recognizes the presence 
and in-dwelling power of the Holy Spirit, — it feels 
that it lives in purity." 

4. In this heavenly state of grace there is a blessed 
fullness of love, of perfect love that casts out all 

(slavish) fear. Love fills the heart, pervades the 
understanding, regulates the will, and rules and fills 
the whole soul. Love is the main spring of every 
action, beaming out of the eyes, and sweetly guarding 
the whole life. And this love expands the heart, and 
fills it again and again, through all time, and through 
all eternity. Glory be to God ! 

5. Humility fills the soul of the entirely sanctified. 
Self is crucified, sets up no claims, seeks no honors 
but those that come from God, and are in harmony 
with him. This humility will show itself in every- 
thing ; in the transaction of business ; in its deport- 
ment in the family ; in the class-meetings, and in 
the prayer-room. It will be seen in the very aspect 
of the countenance ; it will be heard in the tones of 
the voice. A humility that lies low at the feet of 
Jesus, and 

" Brings forth the royal diadem, 
And crowns him Lord of all." 

6. I need scarcely say, that a sanctified soul will 
have a holy and heavenly happiness. It has now 
formed a communication with the fountain of all 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 53 

happiness. Its fellowship is with the Father, and 
with his Son, Jesus Christ. This holy bliss may 
sometimes swell to an exultant shout, and some- 
times it may sink even to heaviness, through mani- 
fold temptations, and, in either case, the soul is 
happy, and can not be otherwise while it maintains 
its consecration. 

" How blest are they who still abide, 
Close sheltered in Thy bleeding side ! 
Who thence their life and strength derive, 
And by Thee move, and in Thee live." 

A soul in this state can rejoice evermore, for, in 
the worst possible circumstances, there is always 
cause for gratitude. And in the midst of physical 
suffering and mental conflict, there may be a heav- 
enly calm and a holy joy; yea, and in the midst, 
much grief and sorrow of heart. "Nay, the mind 
itself may be deeply distressed ; may be exceeding 
sorrowful ; may be perplexed and pressed down by 
heaviness and anguish even to agony, while the 
heart cleaves to God by perfect love, and the will 
is wholly resigned to him. Wag it not so with the 
Son of God himself? Wesley tells of a woman, in 
his pastoral care, who was in the extremity of pain, 
rotting away by piecemeal, by the king's evil, full 
of sores from head to foot, with several of her bones 
appearing through her skin ; yet so complete was her 
resignation, and so firm her faith in God and the 
realities of the eternal world, that she was constantly 



54 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

praising God, with tears of joy, for dealing so mer- 
cifully with her. 

Yet you must remember that feeling is not the 
true index of a sanctified soul, for this may vary at 
different times. The cable that holds the Lord in 
this fullness is faith. Lady Maxwell says, "The 
Lord has taught me that it is by faith, and not by 
joy, that I must live." 

7. Another evidence of a full salvation is a large 
effusion of the spirit of prayer, by -which the soul 
may pray without ceasing ; so that a prayer may 
always lie uppermost in the soul, ready to be pre- 
sented ; so that while you always feel your depend- 
ence upon God, he always gives you the spirit of 
prayer, by which your wants may be always pre- 
sented at the throne of grace. You may not only 
pray always, but you may pray with confidence ; for 
if you do the will of God, you will have near access 
to him. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, 
then have we confidence toward God. And what- 
soever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep 
his commandments, and do those things that are 
pleasing in his sight." These are some of the evi- 
dences of entire sanctifi cation. Have you now this 
blessing ? Are you wholly the Lord's ? Have you 
the evidences ? 



LECTURE VII. 

HOLINESS TO THE LOED. 

" PRESERVE YOU BLAMELESS UNTO THE COMING OF OUR LORD 
JESUS CHRIST." 

How may we retain this blessing of entire sanctifi- 
cationf This is a question of infinite importance, and 
should be answered as in the sight of God. Supposing 
that you have now the exalted happiness, the perfect 
humility, the perfect love, and the witness of your 
own spirit, and the direct witness of the Spirit of the 
Lord, that you are fully saved from all sin ; that 
Christ fills and rules your heart ; it is of eternal value 
to know how you may keep, this heavenly treasure. 
Alas ! that so many lose it and become slain witnesses. 

1. You must always cherish a spirit of watchful- 
ness. Holiness is like a garden without weeds ; 
but if we do not watch, Satan will sow tares that 
will spring up and trouble us. Holiness is like a 
well-regulated house ; it requires constant care to 
keep it in perfect order. It is like a beautiful white 
robe, that must be constantly and carefully watched, 
lest it become spotted and defiled in this filthy world. 
It is like a sharp-edged instrument, that will soon 
be blunted without much care. It is like a well-de- 
fended city, with the enemies all outside ; but every 

55 



56 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

avenue must be constantly guarded with vigilant 
care, for the wily foe will seek to retake it. 

", Leave no unguarded place — 
No weakness of the soul : 
Take every virtue, every grace, 
And fortify the whole." 

Watch your thoughts, that no evil thought shall 
find a lodgment in the soul. This may lead to an 
unholy desire, and this may lead to a sinful volition, 
and then the sin is completed, and the result is a sad 
defeat ; a wounded conscience, a blushing face, and 
sad cause for repentance. 

Watch the first ruffle of the feelings, and stay 
your mind at once on God, that he may keep you in 
perfect peace. Watch the first temptation to speak 
an angry, fretful, peevish, or unkind word ; for 
all these little things will have a great influence. 
ff Trifles make perfection," said Napoleon, "but per- 
fection is no trifle." 

2. Steadfastly set your soul against the shadow of 
^ doubt as to your acceptance with God. Satan will 
^hake your confidence if he can, for he knows full 
Nell that you can stand only by faith, and that as 
soon as you give way to doubt, you fall from your 
steadfastness, dishonor God, and forfeit his smile. 

3. On the other hand, cultivate a spirit of faith. 
Not only believe steadfastly on God, and so keep open 
the communication between your soul and God, but 
cultivate, cherish, and foster the spirit of faith ; be- 
lieve with all the faith you have, and cry out, w Lord, 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 57 

increase my faith." Believe when you read, when 
you pray, when you lie downwind when you rise up, 
when you go out or when you come in. Yours must 
literally be a life of faith, morning, noon, and night, 
and in all the spaces between, you must fully rely 
on the covenant-keeping God. Lady Maxwell says, 
ct The Lord teaches me that it is by simple faith 
alone, that I can either obtain, retain, or increase 
with regard to any gospel blessing." 

Satan may tell you how unfaithful you have for- 
merly been, and how unworthy you now are, and how 
presumptive it is in you to think that you may have 
so large a blessing. This is a subtle temptation, and 
you must be on your guard, and put up your w shield 
of faith," which will surely quench this fiery dart of 
the enemy. Tell him you are not blessed because 
you have been faithful, or because you are unworthy, 
but because you have fulfilled the conditions of this 
great blessing, and that you have received it as a 
free gift. Let your faith be so steady and constant 
that you can say, "The life that I now live in the 
flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved 
me and gave himself for me." 

4. Your works must accord with your faith. w Faith 
without works is dead, being alone," says the apostle. 
If you have given yourself up to serve God fully, you 
will ever be asking, " What wilt thou have me to do ? " 
And you will hold yourself ready for any post of 
duty in any part of the world, for any portion of time. 
"Not my will, but thine be done," at all times, and 



58 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

in all places ; in the choice of your occupation, in the 
style and quality of your wearing apparel ; yea, even 
in eating and drinking, you will do the will of God ; 
and in all things you may have " a conscience void 
of offense toward God and toward man," and so you 
shall never be brought into condemnation. 

This will often call for the exercise of self-denial. 
You will see others indulging themselves in various 
ways, but you can not do it! You have engaged to 
belong to " a peculiar people, zealous of good works. " 
Self-indulgence would at once sap your strength and 
destroy our confidence. Wesley says, " Be exemplary 
in all things, particularly in outward things (as in 
dress) ; in little things ; in laying out your money 
(avoiding all needless expense) ; in dress, steady seri- 
ousness, and in the solidity of your conversation." 

Your whole life must be filled up with labor for 
God's glory, " for grace flies a vacuum as well as 
nature, and the devil fills what God does not fill." 
Keep yourself fully engaged in doing good, and so 
will your works help your faith, and when you go to 
God for a favor, you may have confidence that he 
hears you. "Be always employed ! Lose no shred 
of time ; gather up the fragments, that nothing be 
lost." Thus — 

" By holy life and temper show, 
That you your heavenly Master know, 
And serve with heart sincere." 

5. Live as in the presence of God! 

It is said of the sainted Chrysostom that "he 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 59 

preached as though he was surrounded by God and 
holy angels." This gave him an inspiration which you 
need, to help you retain the fullness ; this will help 
you to act aright ; this purity of heart will help you 
to God, and to obey him as the angels do in heaven. 

6. Another indispensable requisite to maintain this 
blessing is, that you make a timely and prudent pro- 
fession of it. You can never eat this precious morsel 
alone. " Come near, all ye that fear the Lord," says 
the Psalmist, "and I will tell you what great things 
he hath done for my soul." You must not only tell 
the truth in the case, but the whole truth , all that 
God hath done for you. You need not fear to use 
the very language of Scripture in making this con- 
fession, "that you love God with all your heart," or 
that "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth 
from all sin," or that you feel that " perfect love that 
casteth out fear. These are expressions none too 
strong to use in proclaiming this great salvation. 

But whatever language you use, let it be in the 
spirit of meekness. 

" Speak of it when called thereto in the most 
inoffensive manner possible. Avoid all magnificent, 
pompous words," says Wesley. In the deep humilia- 
tion of your soul, and with a single eye to his glory, 
publish this fullness to the world. Self congratula- 
tion is out of the question, Christ is all in all. 

" His only righteousness I show, 
His saving truth (power) proclaim." 

Sound discretion must be used as to the time and 



60 HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 

circumstances of this confession. Pearls are not to 
be cast before swine. What is proper at one time is 
improper at another. " I will keep my mouth with a 
bridle while the wicked is before me." Yet, some- 
times, God may call upon you to speak of this full- 
ness in the great congregation, that sinners may 
hear, and fear, and trust in the Lord. " And this 
testimony will often sway the multitude as though 
the breath of God was in it." 

Still, the loudest profession of holiness is the daily 
godly deportment, the deadness to the world, in its 
spirit and customs. "A calm and heavenly frame 
amid all the provocations of life, and a deadness to 
the charms and fashions of the world, will be a loud 
profession of holiness. 

If, at anytime, your conductor spirit has been in- 
consistent with this exalted state, and candid men have 
had reason to doubt your state, a sudden profession of 
the blessing may prejudice their minds against you, 
and the profession you make, and the blessing you 
profess, take a new plunge into the purple flood, 

"And rise to all the life of God." 

"And if, at anytime, you fall from what you now 
are, if you should feel again pride or unbelief, or any 
temper from which you are now delivered, do not 
deny, do not hide, do not disguise it at all, at the 
peril of your soul. At all events, go to one in whom 
you can confide, and speak just what you feel. God 
will enable him to speak a word in season, w r hich 



HOLINESS TO THE LORD, 61 

shall be health to your soul. And surely he will 
again lift up your head, and cause the bones that 
have been broken to rejoice." — Wesley. 

7. If you would retain that degree of perfect love 
that you now have, you must seek after more. You 
must grow in holiness, or decline in it. This is too 
plain to need argument, and yet this is the secret of 
so many backsliding from it. They try to stand stilly 
and soon go back. It is your blessed privilege to be 

" Changed from glory unto glory," 

till in heaven you take your place. 

" Till you cast your crowns before Him, 
Lost in wonder, love, and praise." 

• Wesley speaks of Mrs. Parsons, "As a glorious 
witness, full of salvation, showing how impossible it 
is to retain pure love without growing therein." 

8. If you would keep this blessing you must daily 
renew your consecration. Lay your all anew on the 
divine altar, "that sanctifieth the gift." Yea, let it 
ever remain there. Still say, — 

" High heaven that heard the solemn vow, 
That vow renewed shall daily hear, 
Till in life's latest hour I vow, 

And bless in death a Lord so dear." 

9. You must labor to persuade others to secure this 
same blessing. This we shall do as long as we main- 
tain it ourselves, and it will be a sad sign of decline 
when we do not labor in this direction. Scatter the 
holy fire, that it may burn more and more ! 

10. You must foster and cherish a spirit of con- 



62 HOLINESS TO THE LORD, 

stant prayer. This praying spirit comes with the bles- 
sing, and must be cultivated as long as we would re- 
tain the blessing. Holiness implies it and requires it. 

" Pray, without ceasing, pray, 

(Your Captain gives the word), 
His summons cheerfully obey, 

And call upon the Lord. 
To God your every want 

In instant prayer display ; 
Pray always ; pray, and never faint, 

Pray, without ceasing, pray." 

11. If you would retain this fullness you must 
abide the consequences of its profession. 

(1.) Satan may tempt you far more severely. You 
know he tempted Christ forty days and forty nights, 
and he will harass and perplex you if he can, and all 
who bear the blessed image of Christ. Thank God, 
you need not fear the conflict. 

" By all hell's host withstood, 
We all hell's host o'erthrow, 
And conquering through Jesus' blood, 
We on to conquer go." 

(2.) You will meet with opposition from that part 
of the Church which is not in sympathy with this sub- 
ject. They may say you " are zealous overmuch ; " 
that " you make yourself peculiar ; " w attract atten- 
tion ; " w why not be like the rest of the professors ; " 
w why make so much ado about religion ; " "why not 
take it easy, — it will be just as well in the end." 

You must be ready to meet and withstand these 
Laodicean cries, from well-meaning, but lukewarm 






HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 63 

professors. Reply, like Nehemiah, " We are doing a 
- great work, and can not come down. Why should 
the work cease, while we leave it, and come down to 
you?" These things will exercise your charity, but 
this heavenly virtue will bear the trial, if you instant- 
ly look to God. You will feel a love for your weak 
brethren, and will, by no means, cast them away. 

(3.) Your faith will be tried. You may think, 
when you first obtain the blessing, that you can 
persuade any one to seek and obtain it, and you 
begin to labor for it ; but you may find, after much 
toil, that you have but little fruit, and you will be 
tempted to be discouraged and cease to labor, and 
so cease to maintain the blessing. Mark the word 
of the Lord to you, "Be not weary in well doing, 
for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." 
Let your faith grow stronger in the trial, and you 
shall see the desire of your heart. 

(4.) Your patience will be put to a severe test. 
There are many petty annoyances in every-day life. 
Many things pressing upon you at the same time, 
and the temptation will be to become fretful, but this 
can never be allowed, not even in feeling, so long 
as you keep your soul full of the calmness of perfect 
love. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose 
mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." 
There is the cure for worldly cares ; let the mind be 
stayed on God ; let the heart be lifted up in instant 
prayer — " Lord, help me ! Lord, keep me ! " Natural 
disposition is no excuse for impatience, for grace can 



64 UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 

conquer nature. K Sin shall not have dominion over 
you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace" 
Dear reader, K The very God of peace sanctify you 
wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, 
and body, be preserved blameless until the coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth 
you, who also will do it." 



LECTURE VIII. 

UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 

"HOLINESS TO THE LORD." 

" In that day there shall be upon the bells of the 
horses Holiness to the Lord." The inspired 
prophet who framed these lines had had many visions 
of the triumphs of the gospel, and with prophetic eye 
he could see the blessed Redeemer going forward 
from conquering to conquer. And it was well be- 
coming such a prophet that he should close his proph- 
ecy with the glorious declaration of the text. Mak- 
ing known to the world that the time is coming when 
holiness shall be so prevalent in the world, that it 
shall not only be inscribed upon the forehead of the 
high priest, but even upon the bells or bridles of the 
horses. That it shall not be confined to ministers 



UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 



65 



and to the temple, but that it should enter into the 
affairs of common every-day life. Even the horses 
used in battle shall not go against the will of God, 
but shall be used for the furtherance of gospel holi- 
ness. Yea, upon the very bells that are put upon 
them to quicken their speed shall be inscribed w Holi- 
ness to the Lord." 

But, further, he goes on to show, that the furni- 
ture of their houses shall be used in the same holy 
manner ; so that the common drinking-cups used in 
the houses of the priests — which were near the tem- 
ple — should be used as sacredly as the bowls before 
the altar ; so that holiness to the Lord should be 
manifested at their tables. Qne has well said, "In 
ministers' families common actions should be done 
after a godly sort." 

But beyond all this, holiness should reach to the 
furniture of all the houses of the common people. 
"Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be 
holiness to the Lord." So that in eating and drink- 
ing they shall have reference to God and his holiness. 
Yea, the time cometh when the priesthood shall be 
abolished, and every man shall be his own priest, and 
offer his own sacrifices. They shall boil the flesh of 
their sacrifices in their own pots, and not carry them 
to the priest. Yea, the service of God's house shall 
become so select and sacred, that a Canaanite or 
an unconverted person shall not be found therein. 
Blessed period ! May God hasten thy coming ! When 
all 3hall know the Lord, from the least unto the 
5 



66 UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 

greatest, and when the glory and knowledge of the 
Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters -cover the 
sea; when 

" Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
Doth his successive journeys run ; 
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more." 

I. Holiness is the grand and glorious ultimate of 
the gospel. 

For this the scheme of mercy was devised. For 
this the precious blood of Christ was shed. For this 
the Spirit of God is poured out upon the w^orld. For 
this the lamp of revelation shines. For this the gos- 
pel is preached. For this the probation of the race 
is prolonged. For this the judgment day is deferred, 
and the judgment fires delay their burning. For 
this God employs the various agencies of the church. 
w For he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and 
some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for 
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the min- 
istry, for the edifying of the body of Christ ; till we 
all come in the unity of faith and a knowledge of 
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meas- 
ure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 

II. This holiness pertains to the smallest as well 
as the greatest acts of a moral agent. 

It is one of the fatal errors that cleaves to our 
souls, that we can perform little things without refer- 
ence to God. In any great matter we know we 
ought to ask counsel of God, and secure grace to 



UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 67 

help us, but in little matters we go alone to our cer- 
tain loss. 

Is not the great Creator of the universe as careful 
in adjusting the mechanism of the body of an animal- 
cule, as in regulating the movements of the planets? 
Is he not as careful about his conduct toward the 
feeblest child of earth, as he is toward the highest 
archangel in heaven ? And in the economy of re- 
demption in which we live, is it not plain that all our 
conduct has reference to moral law? Hence the 
divine injunction is, K Whether ye eat or drink, or 
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 
Surely this commandment is exceeding broad, cov- 
ering the whole conduct of all intelligent agencies. 
So that we may well say, that every act of a moral 
agent has reference to moral law. 

1. His thoughts are either right or wrong. They 
are often considered of little account because they are 
hid from the eyes of men, but they are of momentous 
interest, for they are constantly under the piercing 
gaze of the Almighty God, who at once sees how 
they agree or disagree with the standard of moral 
law. These thoughts should be the more guarded 
because they are the springs of our outward actions. 
How careful must that man be of his thoughts who 
w^ould live a holy life. One evil thought indulged is 
enough to destroy your repose in Christ, and make 
you forfeit, for the time, the blessing of a clean heart. 
Cherish right thoughts toward God, his plans and 
providences, toward your friends, and especially to- 



68 UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 

ward your enemies ; think of them in pity and in 
prayer. Set a special guard against every murmur- 
ing, angry, or lustful thought. O, how many have 
fallen by not watching these beginnings of evil ! Was 
not this the beginning of the fall of the angels ? 

" Those first-born sons of light." 

2. Our feelings are subject to moral law, and are 
closely connected with our thoughts. How soon an 
evil thought in the mind will excite an evil feeling in 
the heart. To be holy in heart, we must have feel- 
ings of reverence, submission, and confidence toward 
God. We must have feelings of love and pity to- 
ward all mankind ; even toward those that hate us, 
and despitefully use us, and say all manner of evil 
against us, falsely, for Christ's sake ; being like Christ, 
ready to render good for evil, blessings for curses. 

We must guard against all idolizing feelings to- 
ward our children, or special friends, for God is jeal- 
ous of our affections, when we .set up idols in our 
hearts. We must love all in subordination to him. 

We must carefully watch our feelings under the 
various dispensations of Providence. 

In times of severe trial, when it seems as though 
all things are working against you, yield not to a 
feeling of depression, but fly to God in instant, con- 
fiding prayer, and cast upon him your every care, 
" for he careth for you." 

In times of prosperity, when Providence seems to 
bestow nothing but favors, guard against proud feel- 



UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 69 

ings or worldly affections. God has said, " If riches 
increase, set not your hearts upon them." If, like 
Jeshurun, we wax fat and kick against God's com- 
mands, we may expect that God will surely take 
measures to humble us. If, like Jehoshaphat, we 
take undue pleasure in making known what great 
things we, by our power and wisdom, have accom- 
plished or required, we may expect that God will 
expose our folly and punish our weakness. " For 
thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in 
his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his 
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches ; but 
let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he under- 
standeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which 
exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteous- 
ness in the earth : for in these things I delight, saith 
the Lord." 

In times of temptation, we must set a double 
guard upon our feelings. The sweet singer of Israel, 
from the roof of his palace, saw an object of beauty, 
and gave way to a sinful feeling, the gratification of 
which caused him to become an adulterer and a 
murderer, and brought the sword upon his house 
forever. 

It is an inspired injunction — " Flee youthful 
lusts." And why flee them? Because your only 
safety, in many cases, is in flight. And the blessed 
Jesus has told us that to look, without a proper 
.control of the feelings, is to lust ; and this, of course, 
is to sin. Hence, to save ourselves from evil feel- 



70 UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 

ings, we must often make w a covenant with our 
eyes," that we may not behold iniquity. 

3. Our words are subject to moral law, and they 
must be right, or they will be wrong. A peevish, 
fretful, covetous, envious, or idle word may be 
enough to bring a measure of condemnation that may 
be the beginning of a downward tendency that may 
end in perdition. A double guard must be placed 
upon our lips in the presence of the unconverted, for 
one unholy word may be like a spark, to set a whole 
family of society on fire. "Behold, how great a 
matter a little fire kindleth ! " O, how precious are 
right words, spoken at the right time and in a proper 
manner! They are more precious than gold; yea, 
than much fine gold. 

What an influence it would have upon our moral 
character, if we would remember the words of Jesus 
on this point, — " That every idle word that men shall 
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of 
judgment." 

4. After saying so much upon thoughts, feelings, 
and words, it is hardly necessary to say much about 
our actions ; for if our thoughts, feelings, and words 
are right, our actions can hardly be wrong ; for the 
state of the heart is the state of the man. Still, as 
to our actions we may .say, — 

(1.) That to be holy, they must spring from 
right motives. For it is hardly possible to do a good 
act from a bad motive, for the motive gives character 



UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 71 

to the act, and we know that God marks not only 
what we do, but also why we do it. 

(2.) A good act must be performed, not only 
from a good motive, but in a proper manner. Other- 
wise, in some cases, the thing had better not be done. 
Let a lovely thing be done in a lovely way, and so 
please God and profit man. 

(3.) If w T e would live holy lives, we must not 
only do the right work in a proper manner, but also 
at the right time. For instance, we must not only 
pay a debt, but we must pay it, as far as possible, 
when it is due. A good motive may prompt me to 
support public worship by pecuniary aid, but it would 
be wrong for me to withhold that support till the 
minister and his family are suffering, and the officers 
of the church were sent out to secure relief. This 
would be a cruel neglect, and yet it is often, done by 
those who profess better things. 

(4.) We must ever remember that what would 
be perfectly right to do at one time, would be per- 
fectly wrong at another. David, and those that were 
with him, ate the shew-bread from necessity and 
hunger, which it was lawful only for the priests to 
eat. Mrs. Palmer tells us of two young ladies that 
were seeking the blessing of holiness, but were una- 
ble to obtain it till they had given up the company of 
two unconverted young men. This rule is applicable 
to e very-day life. I knew a fine young lady who was 
keeping company with a young man before her con- 
version, who stood right in her way to heaven after 



72 



UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 



her conversion. She refused to give him up, left the 
church of Christ, lived in misery about two years, 
and died partly of neglect. Her best friends were 
fully satisfied that she threw her life away. 

I need not say that holiness implies the right use 
of our property ; that we must dispose of our money 
in a religious manner, — so that while by industry 
we get all we can, by economy we save all we can. 
So, also, by benevolence we must give all we can. 



REFLECTIONS. 

1. This will serve to show why many persons do 
not flourish in religion. They fail to have fr holiness 
to the Lord" written upon the bells of the horses, or 
on the transactions of e very-day life. 

2. This divine carefulness in little things will do 
much toward turning earth into heaven. 

3. This constant holiness to the Lord will help us 
to stand ready, at any time, to exchange words, and 
join the spirits of the just made perfect. 

" When God is mine and I am his, * 
Of paradise possessed, 
I taste unutterable bliss, 
And everlasting rest." 



NOTICES OF THE PRESS 

OP 

THE GIFT OF THE HOLT GHOST 

The Believer's Privilege, 

AND 

SELECT SERMONS ON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 
By Rev. E. DAVIES, Evangelist. 



From Rev. R. W. ALLEIT, in "The Methodist Ilomo Journal." 

"The Gift of the Holy Ghost the Believer's Privilege," 
is the title of a work issued by Itev. E. Davies. It contains seven chap- 
ters, bearing the following titles : -— " The Gift of the Holy Ghost," " Brief 
History of the Three Dispensations,"" The Results of the Fiory Baptism," 
"The Holy Ghost Killing in the Early Christian Church," "The Holy 
Ghost in the Church of the Present Day," " Testimonies of its Baptism," 
and " Testimonies Continued," with an Appendix on " The Three Dispen- 
sations." It is written in a vigorous, clear, earnest style, Methodistic and 
Scriptural, and its circulation at the present time will have a most excel- 
lent effect on the Church. What the Church especially needs is the Pen 
tecostal baptism, and this book will greatly assist in obtaining it. We 
say to all, Head it with prayer, and it will lead you into the higher and 
richer experiences of the Christian dispensation. The author has done an 
excellent work in preparing and publishing this book. 



From Rev. Dr. SHERMAN. 

" The Gift ok the Holy Ghost," by Rev. E. Davies, the Evange 
list, who employs his pen as freely as his voice in preaching Christ. 
Like his other works this is marked by clearness, point, directness of 
aim, and " certain earnestness and incisiveness, which will not fail to profit 
the readc. In plain, Saxon language, he strikes home to the heart, 
opening to tliu view of the seeker the nature and offices of the Spirit, 
nnd the possibility of entire purity through hie influence. The boa* 
Can only do good, and should be widely reaJi. 



■v*- 



WORKS BY REV. E. DAVIES, 

Evangelist. 



HE LEADETH ME, 

Or the Personal Narrative. Religious Experience, and 
Christian Labors of 

IR,]H^7\. E. DAVIES. 

A deeply interesting work, that cannot he read without profit 
With a Fine Stkel Engraving. Pi ice, $1.00. Gilt $1.40 



BELIEVER'S HAND-BOOK, 

Containing Eight concise and consecutive Lectures on 
Holiness. 

A STANDARD WORK, 

Highly commended by Bishop Haven, Dr. and Mrs. Palmer, 
Revs. Wm. McDonald, Wm. Boole, and hy the tens of thou- 
sands that have gained spiritual profit therefrom. 

It is comprehensive, and covers the whole ground. It has 
reached its 

SEVENTH EDITION, 

Of One Thousand Copies each. It is for Christians of every 
name. Price, only 25 cents, paper; 40 cents, cloth. 



MAYFIELD REVIVAL. 

A small 2-cent tract, giving a full account of a wonderful 
work of grace, in which nearly 200 adults were saved in eleven 
days and one half, besides children, in a country village. 

Price, $1.50 per hundred. 



it 



* All the above are sent by mail, postage paid, for retail 
price. Usual discount to Publishers. 

Address REV. E. DAVIES, 

Reading, Mass 



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